Rabu, Februari 23, 2011

Danny Elfman

Depending on your viewing habits, it’s quite possible that you’ve heard Danny Elfman’s work more often than any other composer. Not only has he scored more than 70 films (including all but two of Tim Burton’s and many of Sam Raimi’s), but he’s also the musical dynamo behind the iconic TV theme tunes of The Simpsons and Desperate Housewives. Away from the screen, Elfman created the music for Cirque du Soleil’s forthcoming LA show Iris and is developing a Broadway musical based on the life of escapologist supreme Harry Houdini with The Social Network uber-scribe Aaron Sorkin. We caught up with the amiable Californian on a recent flying visit to Hong Kong Disneyland, where Elfman is composing the score for one of the park’s new rides, the playfully spooky ‘Mystic Manor’, which is due to make its debut in early 2013.

This is the first time you’ve scored a theme park ride. What attracted you to the project?
Well, growing up as a young adult, going to Disneyland in LA, the Haunted Mansion was my favourite ride. So, being asked to participate in something like this, something that maybe our children, grandchildren might be part of – I love the idea of how long it could potentially be around. That even after I’m gone, there’ll still be generations enjoying this work. That to me is a great thing and an honour.

How do you keep your creativity?Well, [laughs] I don’t know. I hope that I do keep my creativity. I don’t have any magic formula. I was recently a juror at the Venice Film Festival. I’m having drinks with the president of the jury, who’s Quentin Tarantino, and we were discussing that problem, that dilemma of the terrifying feeling that every time you start a piece of work is like lowering a bucket into a well and you have no idea if you’re going to find water, because you don’t know if that well is ten feet deep or a mile. There’s no answer to that except keep lowering that bucket until you hear a splash.

Have you ever had a supernatural experience?I’ve tried and I’ve tried and I’ve tried. The director Guillermo Del Toro and myself, we even rented a haunted room in London that was sure to provide ghosts. And we took turns sitting in a room alone with the lights off as part of the dare, waiting for something to happen... and nothing did. I keep hoping though.